St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School

Inspection of St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School Glastonbury Road, Stretford M32 9PD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 15 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 6 and 7 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

On the walls, entering the building, pupils are greeted by the message ‘all are welcome’. This truly is a sentiment that pupils feel accurately describes the loving, community spirit at their school. Pupils are happy at school and get along well with one another. They feel that their differences are accepted and embraced. Cheerful, friendly staff look after pupils well. This contributes to pupils feeling safe and secure. It is a school filled with warmth and positivity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well behaved and sensible. Social times are calm and well-organised. Pupils have plenty to do during these times, such as playing board games indoors or ball games outside.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for what pupils should achieve. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils typically achieve well in many subjects. Those with a particular talent in mathematics achieve exceptionally well by the time that they leave Year 6.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit for a range of opportunities to explore further interests and develop their unique talents. For example, pupils access violin, guitar and piano lessons. They also attend a performing arts club that regularly puts on plays for the school. Pupils enjoy participating in sports competitions. They were particularly proud to tell inspectors of their historic and current footballing achievements in local and regional tournaments.

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better?

In recent times, the school has experienced a prolonged period of interim leadership. The school has managed this effectively to ensure that pupils have continued to achieve well. Moreover, the school has continued to develop the curriculum during this time.

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better?

The school has ensured that pupils learn a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum. It has outlined its expectations for what pupils should learn by the end of each year. In most parts of the curriculum, the school has specified the important knowledge that pupils need to know. In the majority of cases, the school has carefully considered the order in which pupils will be taught new subject content. This helps pupils to develop a secure body of knowledge in many subjects.

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better?

The school uses effective strategies to check how pupils are doing in their learning. In many subjects, teachers quickly identify pupils’ errors or misconceptions in their thinking. They provide helpful guidance to help pupils to correct what they might have misunderstood.

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better?

The school carries out checks on the curriculum to evaluate its quality and impact on pupils’ learning. However, this is done with greater precision in some subjects than it is in others. This sometimes means that the school is not clear about how well some 6 and 7 February 2024

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subjects are designed and delivered to pupils. It also means that the school is not as quick to respond to some deficiencies that prevent pupils from learning all that they could.

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The school identifies pupils with additional needs early. It uses a range of strategies and resources effectively to help pupils with SEND to access learning alongside their peers. These pupils achieve well.

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The school adopted a new phonics programme last year. The school makes sure that pupils begin this programme from the start of the Reception Year. The programme is taught consistently well by capable staff. Pupils read books that are matched well to their phonics knowledge. Pupils receive timely additional support if they are struggling. Pupils quickly become confident, fluent readers.

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The school nurtures a love of reading. Pupils enjoy the class novels that they read as part of their English lessons. They become deeply engrossed in the storylines of these books, which have been carefully chosen to help pupils to appreciate a broad range of cultures and characters. Pupils spoke positively about their additional non- fiction reading sessions that deepen their learning of historical and scientific topics.

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The school provides for pupils’ personal development well. It encourages pupils to engage in various charitable activities. It also encourages pupils to undertake a variety of roles and responsibilities. These roles range from older pupils acting as buddies for children in the early years to pupils taking on subject ambassador roles. The school organises curriculum trips that help to bring pupils’ learning to life. Pupils have strong respect and tolerance for peoples’ different backgrounds. Pupils learn how to develop positive, safe relationships and know how to look after themselves when using the internet. Pupils understand the fundamental British values and are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

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Pupils have a positive attitude to their learning. Many pupils attend school regularly. They are attentive in their lessons and are often engrossed in their learning. Children in the early years quickly learn school routines and classroom expectations. Lessons are rarely disrupted.

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Governors understand their duties and carry them out effectively. The school is considerate of staff’s workload. For example, it made changes to the marking policy to reduce the burden on staff. These were well received by staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 6 and 7 February 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school is not clear on how well subject curriculums are being implemented and the impact that these curriculums are having on pupils’ learning. At times, the school is unable to act as quickly as it otherwise could to address some deficiencies in the design of these curriculums and some gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The school should refine how it oversees subject curriculums so that it is better placed to support teachers to deliver curriculum content well.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 6 and 7 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Adrian Smith (acting co-headteacher) Maureen Atherton (acting co- headteacher) Website www.st-hughlincoln.trafford.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 March 2009

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Information about this school

 Two acting co-headteachers were appointed in September 2022. This interim arrangement was still in place at the time of this inspection.  There have been several chairs of the governing body appointed in the past 12 months.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.  The governing body runs a before- and after-school club at the school.  The school is a Catholic school in the Diocese of Salford. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in May 2023. The next section 48 inspection is due by summer 2028.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 6 and 7 February 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, music and art and design. They met with subject leaders and teachers. They visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning. The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum, spoke with pupils about their learning and evaluated their work in some other subjects.  The lead inspector spoke with a group of governors. Inspectors also talked to staff about their workload and well-being.

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 The lead inspector spoke with representatives of the local authority and of the diocese.  Inspectors met with the leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their wider experience of school.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documents related to pupils’ welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to the pupil survey.  Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day and took account of

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the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Spruce, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Joan Grant Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 February 2024

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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